Should a person be highly educated before being ordained a minister or priest?

Question

Ss. Peter and Paul the leaders of the original church, both called by Christ to the ministry. Each from different backgrounds. St. Peter and his brother St. Andrew were merely a pair of humble fishermen with out any Formal Education. St. Paul was a Pharasee and a Lawyer. As a member of the Sanhedron he would have been schooled in many things we would consider to be college or university level. Many Denominations require a Degree before you attend seminary.

Answer 1

I think it helps, not for the theology involved, but in that when studying to become a priest or minister or pastor they get some training in how to deal with people on a one-to-one basis.

Some people are great at "sermonizing" but seriously lack in the personal communication needed to be a leader of a congregation.

Answer 2

Good question!
However in a world where people claim that Christians are all ignorant rubes, it becomes essential to have ministers (both lay and clergy) who are educated.
In seminary they teach you the Biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew so that you can study the text as it was written.
They also teach you courses in theology, hermeneutics and homiletics so can know what you believe more thoroughly and then how to explain it to others.
There are also courses in counseling and ministry that give you practical knowledge of how to serve the people in your church. More and more schools are adding business and leadership courses to help the pastor function successfully in the corporate aspect of churches.

That being said, education is helpful to support a minister in his/role but the most important qualification is a heart toward God. This cannot be taught in any advanced degree program.

Answer 3

I think it would be more important to know the Bible if you want to be a minister, but it would help to know proper English also. There are a few denominations that don't require a degree. I don't think it should be required because it is hard for some people to be able to pay for college, and that shouldn't keep a person from being a minister if he knows the Bible and is a good speaker.

Answer 4

No ,God's approval is all we need.Ministry comes from the teachings of the Holy Spirit who leads you and guides you into all truth.Satan has planted so many false teachers in the church today that have degrees other than relationship With Jesus . We need God fearing people in leadership today.Ones that won't cover up sin but tell the truth weather it hurts or not .To many people are committing sexual sins in the church professing Christianity . I love going to church don't get me wrong , fellowship is important . But if I see what kind of fruit your bearing and it's not good I'm not gonna entertain those kind of things.Let's seek deliverance and don't compromise sin.God hates sin and so should Christians. He loves the sinner and so should we but enough to tell them the truth and don't go along with those insist on going against God's Will to please their flesh.love ya

Answer 5

Very good point.

Paul was highly educated.
He was used mightily.

Even peter said this of Paul:
2 Pet 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
2 Pet 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
I think you do need a higher education. That is my opinion.

Answer 6

The answer in the early, early Church would have been no. However, now it is yes. At least in the Catholic Church, you have to have a college degree before going into seminary. I don't think it's a good idea to have people in the pulpit who have no idea about half the world, do you?

Answer 7

no.jesus can from a poor family and so would have most of his disciples.they wouldnt have been able to study theology, besides that was mainly kept to the priests' families.people are either called by god or not,just because someone many have studied the bible doesnt make them a believer,or show that god choose them.i mean i read lord of the rings,enjoyed it but didnt believe any of it.

Answer 8

The responsibilities in the church today require a high degree of training to respond in a beneficial way. Preaching or exhortation is a gift from God.

Answer 9

As you noted the the apostles were not 'highly educate' or as they are described in the Bible "unlearned and ignorant" as recorded in the King James Version.

Act 4:13

(ASV) Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceive
d that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

(BBE) Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they
were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took
note of them that they had been with Jesus.

(ISV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that
they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that
they had been with Jesus.

(KJV+) Now1161 when they saw2334 the3588 boldness3954 of Peter4074
and2532 John,2491 and2532 perceived2638 that3754 they were1526
unlearned62 and2532 ignorant2399 men,444 they marveled;2296 and5037
they took knowledge1921 of them,846 that3754 they had been2258 with4862
Jesus.2424

(KJVA) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that
they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

(LITV) But beholding the boldness of Peter and John, and having perceived that
they are untaught and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized
them, that they were with Jesus.

(YLT) And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that
they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering--they were taking
knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been


(NWT) Now when they beheld the outspokenness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were men unlettered and ordinary, they got to wondering. And they
began to recognize about them that they used to be with Jesus;

If these 'unlearned and ignorant' men were able to accomplish such a public ministry how can a church demand something different?

Answer 10

If they were highly educated they most likely would see through the B.S. lies that makes up all religions. Statistically the higher the education the less likely somebody is to buy into the religion lies.